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Employees from a non-English speaking background

The proportion of ongoing APS employees who identified as being from a non-English speaking background9 remained stable this year at 5.4%. Consistent with findings for other diversity groups, results from the employee census indicate that the representation of people from a non-English speaking background is likely to be higher at around 15%.

The largest group of employees from a non-English speaking background were born in southern and central Asia (20.6%), followed by south-east Asia (20.0%) and north-east Asia (16.5%). More information on employees from Asia is in Chapter 8. The most common region of birth for employees from a non-English speaking background outside of Asia was southern and eastern Europe at 12.7%.

Engagements and job attraction

People from a non-English speaking background constituted 4.6% of all engagements to the APS in 2012–13. This represents a sharp decline in absolute numbers from 572 engagements in 2011–12, to 350 engagements in 2012–13.

The employee census demonstrates the factors that attracted employees from a non-English speaking background to their current position were similar to factors attracting other employees, with the most important being type of work (74% of employees from a non-English speaking background compared with 77% of other APS employees). However, employees from a non-English speaking background were more likely than other employees to rate the opportunity to provide service to diversity groups as an important factor (38% compared with 23%). This is consistent with results for other diversity groups.

The employment experience

Results from the employee census indicate that the employment experience of people from a non-English speaking background is similar to other employees. Employees from a non-English speaking background show no significant differences in employee engagement compared with other APS employees. Additionally, they are as equally satisfied with workplace health and wellbeing and their work-life balance as other APS employees.

Employees from a non-English speaking background are much more likely to have graduate qualifications than other employees—at June 2013, 82.1% had a degree-level qualification, compared with the APS average of 59.5%. Employees from a non-English speaking background have a relatively high classification profile. Almost 40% are at the APS 5 to 6 classifications which could partly be a result of the high proportion of degree-level qualifications of this group.

Intention to leave and separations

In 2012–13, people from a non-English speaking background constituted 4.0% of all separations from the APS (Figure 5.6). In the past, engagements have consistently exceeded separations for this group.

Figure 5.6 Engagements and separations—employees from a non-English speaking background, 2004 to 2013

Employees reported similar career intentions in the employee census regardless of their country of origin, with 16% of employees from a non-English speaking background and 19% of other APS employees intending to leave their current agency as soon as possible or within the next 12 months. This is a shift from last year's results which saw 18% and 22% respectively citing they wanted to leave their agency as soon as possible or within the next 12 months. The most frequently reported reasons given by employees from a non-English speaking background intending to leave their agency were:

lack of future career opportunities in the agency (54%)

senior leadership of poor quality (30%)

desire to try a different type of work or seek a career change (29%)

lack of recognition for doing a good job (23%).

Footnotes

9 People from non-English speaking background are defined as those who were born overseas and arrived in Australia after five years of age and whose first language was not English.

Connect with APSC

The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) is a central agency within the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio. The Commission supports two statutory office holders: the Australian Public Service Commissioner - who is also agency head - and the Merit Protection Commissioner. Their functions are set out in sections 41(1) and 50(1), respectively, of the Public Service Act 1999.